J&J’s (JNJ) Oral Pill Improves Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

Johnson & Johnson JNJ announced positive results from the latest MDD3001 study, which tested its investigational drug seltorexant in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) with insomnia symptoms.

The MDD3001 study evaluated this drug as an adjunctive therapy to primary antidepressants in older and elderly patients who did not benefit from antidepressants alone. The study met all of its primary and secondary endpoints.

Treatment with seltorexant achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in depressive symptoms at day 43 compared to placebo. Patients treated with drugs also report improvement in the effects of sleep disturbances.

MDD is one of the most common mental disorders and a leading cause of disability worldwide. This disorder is often accompanied by sleep disturbances such as insomnia or hypersomnia, which may even increase the risk of relapse into depression and suicide. Systematically, nearly 60% of MDD patients have insomnia despite being on an SSRI/SNRI antidepressant. Currently, there are no treatments for MDD with insomnia symptoms.

Seltorexant is designed to target the human orexin-2 receptor, which has shown the ability to improve mood and sleep symptoms associated with depression. If approved, J&J’s drug will provide a new way of working to treat MDD patients.

Year to date, J&J shares have lost 7.9% versus the industry’s 14.7% growth.

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Alongside these results, management also provided additional data from the phase IV study TRD4005, which evaluated its nasal spray Spravato as monotherapy in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD ). This study also met its primary and secondary data, showing that treatment with the spray provided rapid and sustained success in TRD.

Spravato is now approved by the FDA, along with an antidepressant, to treat adults with TRD and depressive symptoms in adults with MDD who have suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

J&J presented results from the above two studies at the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) Annual Meeting.

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Zacks Rank & Key Options

J&J currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Other stocks that are performing better in the general health care sector include: Arcutis Biotherapeutics ARQT, Marinus Pharmaceuticals MRNS and Heron Therapeutics HRTX, each currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see a complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Over the past 60 days, Arcutis Biotherapeutics’ 2024 earnings per share estimates have decreased from $2.49 to $1.60. At the same time, loss estimates per share for 2025 improved from $1.77 to $1.14. Year to date, Arcutis shares are up 165.9%.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics’ earnings beat estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing the mark once. Arcutis posted an impressive four-quarter dividend yield of 14.93%.

Over the past 60 days, Marinus Pharmaceuticals’ 2024 earnings per share estimates have improved from $2.43 to $1.87. At the same time, the 2025 loss estimates have been reduced from $1.97 to 90 cents.

Marinus Pharmaceuticals earnings exceeded estimates in two of the last four quarters and met the mark once when it missed the mark in one. Marinus registered an impressive quarterly dividend of 3.27%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Heron Therapeutics’ 2024 earnings per share have improved from 22 cents to 10 cents. At the same time, estimates for 2025 have improved from a loss to of 9 cents to a 1 cent wage. Year to date, HRTX shares have appreciated 92.4%.

Heron Therapeutics’ earnings beat estimates in three of the last four quarters but missed the mark once. HRTX posted an impressive quarterly dividend of 30.33%.

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